The Heart Part 4

Last updated
"The Heart Part 4"
Kendrick-the-heart-part-4.jpg
Promotional single by Kendrick Lamar
ReleasedMarch 23, 2017
Genre
Length4:48
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)

"The Heart Part 4" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kendrick Lamar. It was released on March 23, 2017, by Top Dawg Entertainment. The track features uncredited vocals from American singer Khalid. [3] [4] The song contains samples from "Don't Tell a Lie about Me and I Won't Tell the Truth on You" by James Brown and "I Love You" by Faith Evans.

Contents

Background and release

On March 23, 2017, Lamar shared an Instagram post of the Roman numeral "IV" after deleting his prior Instagram posts. [5] That night, Lamar released the song through streaming services.

This is the fourth installment in Lamar's "The Heart" song series. "The Heart Part 1" was released as a loose track in April 2010, while "Part 2" was featured on Lamar's Overly Dedicated mixtape, released later that same year. "Part 3," featuring Ab-Soul and Jay Rock, preceded the release of Good Kid, M.A.A.D City in 2012. In 2022, "The Heart Part 5" was released as a promotional single to promote Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers . [6]

He finishes the song with the line, "Y'all got til April the 7th to get y'all shit together", hinting at the release date for his fourth album (the date turned out to be the day pre-orders opened and the release date was announced to be April 14). [7] The song mentions Donald Trump, while media outlets perceived it as a diss track to rappers Drake and Big Sean. [8]

A portion of the instrumental, produced by The Alchemist, is used on the song "Fear" from Lamar's fourth album Damn (2017).

Critical reception

On the day of its release, Pitchfork named it Best New Track. [9] For Entertainment Weekly 's Eric Renner Brown, Lamar "infuses his boasts of success and wealth with a degree of lyrical nuance that elevates the track." [10]

Charts

Chart (2017)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) [11] 35
Australia Urban (ARIA) [12] 2
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [13] 25
France (SNEP) [14] 47
Ireland (IRMA) [15] 45
New Zealand Heatseekers (RMNZ) [16] 2
Scotland (OCC) [17] 64
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [18] 41
UK Singles (OCC) [19] 61
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC) [20] 21
US Billboard Hot 100 [21] 22
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [22] 11

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kendrick Lamar discography</span>

American rapper Kendrick Lamar has released five studio albums, one compilation album, one extended play (EP), five mixtapes, 65 singles, and three promotional singles. Lamar initially performed under the stage name K.Dot, releasing three mixtapes under that moniker: Y.H.N.I.C. (2004), Training Day (2005), and C4 (2009). He gained major attention after the release of his fourth mixtape Overly Dedicated, which was released in 2010. It was Lamar's first full-length project to be released under his birth name and fared well enough to enter the United States Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, where it peaked at number 72.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swimming Pools (Drank)</span> 2012 single by Kendrick Lamar

"Swimming Pools (Drank)" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on July 31, 2012 as the lead single (second overall) from his major-label debut studio album Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (2012), by Top Dawg, Aftermath and Interscope. The song was written by Lamar and Tyler "T-Minus" Williams, the latter of whom also produced the song. The song, mixed by Dr. Dre and Top Dawg's engineer Derek "MixedByAli" Ali, propelled Lamar to mainstream popularity. The song peaked at number 17 on the US Billboard Hot 100, in its thirteenth week of charting, after gradually climbing up the chart. It debuted on the Hot 100 at number 100 and progressed from number 55 and 32 to its peak. "Swimming Pools (Drank)" also serves as Lamar's first entry on the UK Singles Chart, where it debuted at number 63.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fuckin' Problems</span> 2012 single by ASAP Rocky featuring 2 Chainz, Drake and Kendrick Lamar

"Fuckin' Problems" is a song by American rapper ASAP Rocky featuring Canadian rapper Drake and fellow American rappers 2 Chainz and Kendrick Lamar. It was released on October 24, 2012, as the second single from Rocky's debut studio album Long. Live. ASAP (2013), and was later released to radio on November 27, 2012.

"Control" is a song by American rapper Big Sean, featuring American rappers Kendrick Lamar and Jay Electronica. It impacted US mainstream urban radio on August 14, 2013, via GOOD Music and Def Jam Recordings, as a promotional single for the former's second studio album Hall of Fame (2013). It was ultimately cut from the album due to sample clearance issues.

"The Language" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake from his third studio album Nothing Was the Same (2013). "The Language" was produced by frequent collaborator Boi-1da, along with additional production by Allen Ritter and Vinylz. It also features an outro from Cash Money Records founder Birdman. The song was serviced to mainstream urban radio on October 29, 2013, as the fourth single from the album in the US and has peaked at number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

"Untitled 02 | 06.23.2014." is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, featured on his compilation album, Untitled Unmastered. The song was produced by Cardo and Yung Exclusive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Untitled 07 – 2014–2016</span> 2016 single by Kendrick Lamar

"Untitled 07 | 2014–2016", single version titled "Untitled 07| Levitate", is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kendrick Lamar, taken from his 2016 compilation album, untitled unmastered. On March 23, 2016, "untitled 07 | levitate" was released separately on the iTunes Store as the compilation's lead single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khalid (singer)</span> American singer and songwriter (born 1998)

Khalid Donnel Robinson, known mononymously as Khalid, is an American singer and songwriter from El Paso, Texas. He signed with Courtney Stewart's Right Hand Music Group, an imprint of RCA Records to release his 2016 debut single, "Location" and its 2017 follow-up, "Young Dumb & Broke." Both of which peaked within the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100, received diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and preceded his debut studio album, American Teen (2017). The album was certified quadruple platinum by the RIAA and received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Urban Contemporary Album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Humble (song)</span> 2017 single by Kendrick Lamar

"Humble" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on March 30, 2017, along with its music video, by Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. The song was written by Lamar and producers Mike Will Made It and Pluss. It was provided to rhythmic contemporary radio as the lead single from Lamar's fourth studio album, Damn. "Humble" is Lamar's second number-one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 after "Bad Blood" and his first as a lead artist. The song received four nominations at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards: Record of the Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Music Video, winning in the last three categories.

<i>Damn</i> (Kendrick Lamar album) 2017 studio album by Kendrick Lamar

Damn is the fourth studio album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. Released on April 14, 2017, through Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records, critical accolades followed including a Pulitzer Prize for Music and the Best Rap Album at the 2018 Grammy Awards. The album features guest appearances from Rihanna, Zacari, and U2.

"DNA" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar from his fourth studio album Damn. Despite not being released as a single, the song received support at rhythmic radio after its official music video was released. The second track on the album , it was written by Lamar, while the production was handled by Mike Will Made It.

"Element" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, from his fourth studio album Damn, released on April 14, 2017. The fourth track on the album, the song was written by Lamar, Sounwave, James Blake, and Ricci Riera and produced by Sounwave, Blake, and Riera, with additional production by Tae Beast and Bēkon. The song charted in multiple countries in 2017.

"Pride." is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, taken from his fourth studio album Damn, released on April 14, 2017. The seventh track on the album, the song was written by Lamar, Steve Lacy, Anna Wise, and Anthony Tiffith, and produced by Lacy and Tiffith, with additional production by Bēkon. "Pride" charted in multiple countries in 2017.

"Love" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar featuring American singer Zacari, taken from the former's fourth studio album Damn (2017). It was released to US rhythmic contemporary radio by Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records on October 2, 2017, as the third and final single from the album. Lamar and Zacari wrote the song with its producers Teddy Walton, Sounwave, Greg Kurstin, and Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith.

"Fear" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, from his fourth studio album DAMN., released on April 14, 2017. The twelfth track on the album, the song was written by Kendrick and produced by The Alchemist, with additional production by Bēkon. At seven minutes and forty-one seconds, it is the longest song on the album. Although not released as a single, the song charted in multiple countries in 2017.

"Loyalty" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar featuring Barbadian singer Rihanna from the former's fourth studio album Damn, released on April 14, 2017. The song was later sent to urban and rhythmic radio June 20, 2017, as the second single from the album. The sixth track on the album, the song was written by the artists alongside producers DJ Dahi, Sounwave, Terrace Martin, and Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith. The song won the Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Performance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All the Stars</span> 2018 single by Kendrick Lamar and SZA

"All the Stars" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar and American singer SZA. Written alongside Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith and producers Sounwave and Al Shux, the song was released on January 4, 2018, as the lead single to the soundtrack album of the film Black Panther. Its release coincided with Top Dawg Entertainment's announcement that Tiffith and Lamar would be producing the Black Panther soundtrack album. Marvel Studios confirmed the news and revealed that Lamar was hand-picked by Black Panther's director Ryan Coogler to produce the soundtrack album. The song appeared in the movie's end credits.

<i>The World Is Yours</i> (Rich the Kid album) 2018 studio album by Rich the Kid

The World Is Yours is the debut studio album by American rapper Rich the Kid. It was released on March 30, 2018, by Interscope Records and Rich Forever Music. The album features guest appearances from Rich Forever Music labelmate Jay Critch, alongside Chris Brown, Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne, Khalid, Rick Ross, Swae Lee of Rae Sremmurd, Trippie Redd, and Quavo and Offset of Migos, among others.

Matthew Dean Burdette, known professionally as Blxst, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer from Los Angeles, California. His record label Evgle partnered with Red Bull Records for the release of his debut EP No Love Lost on September 4, 2020, spawning the hit single "Chosen". He released his debut album Before You Go on April 22, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Family Ties (song)</span> 2021 single by Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar

"Family Ties" is a song by American rappers Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar. The song was released on August 27, 2021, by Columbia Records and pgLang. The song serves as the fourth single from Keem's debut album, The Melodic Blue. The song also serves as Lamar’s first musical release under pgLang, a production company he co-founded in March 2020.

References

  1. "Here's Who Produced Kendrick Lamar's "The Heart Part 4"". XXL. 24 March 2017. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  2. "Kendrick Lamar - The Heart Part 4". 2DopeBoyz. 23 March 2017. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  3. "Kendrick Lamar's "The Heart Part 4" Features An Uncredited Vocal From Khalid". The FADER . Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  4. "Khalid Is Featured on Kendrick Lamar's New "The Heart Part 4"". XXL. 24 March 2017. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  5. "Listen to Kendrick Lamar's New Song "The Heart Part 4"". Pitchfork . Retrieved 23 March 2017.
  6. "New Music: Kendrick Lamar – 'The Heart Part 4'". Rap-Up . March 24, 2017. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  7. "Kendrick Lamar's upcoming album HAS a release date". Planet Radio. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  8. "Who's Kendrick Dissing On "The Heart Part 4"? Big Sean? Drake? ... Donald Trump?". HipHopDX . 24 March 2017. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
  9. ""The Heart Part 4" by Kendrick Lamar Review | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  10. "Kendrick Lamar's 'The Heart Part 4': EW Review". Entertainment Weekly. March 24, 2017. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
  11. "ARIA Australian Top 50 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. April 3, 2017. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  12. "ARIA Urban Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  13. "Kendrick Lamar Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
  14. "Le Top de la semaine : Top Singles Téléchargés - SNEP (Week 13, 2017)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique . Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  15. "IRMA - Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association . Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  16. "NZ Heatseekers Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. April 3, 2017. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
  17. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  18. "Kendrick Lamar – The Heart Part 4". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  19. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  20. "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  21. "Kendrick Lamar Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
  22. "Kendrick Lamar Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 4, 2017.